markmeone

I have swaged all my 9mm 38 super and 357 cases and have had no more misfires because of light primer strikes. I did use the Dillon 600 swager and found it be of great value. I have cleaned my brass with the tumbler with just water and burnishing powder which cleans them pretty well (good enough for me) but not as good as using the steel pins. After letting them dry either in the oven or left outside in the sun I just load them up and have no problems. The swagging allows the primer to sit correctly just a couple of thou down below flush. You can get the swaging tool to that goes on the xl 650 and go through all your cases quickly and easily, but I believe you will lose your warranty with Dillon.

Thanks alecmc that is what I wanted to hear as it would be great fun to shoot the matches with a revolver.

I was wondering if you can use the 8 shot revolvers in open IPSC division (compensator and red dot) and fire all the rounds not just 6 as before you have to reload as what is stated in the revolver division? I know wheel guns are looked down upon but I do like the S&W revolvers, I own the 686 model (6 shot) and I am very happy with it even though I have not used it in IPSC or Steel challenge as I do own a 38 super Tanfoglio. Are you allowed to use a revolver in the open division and shoot all 8 rounds if you had the 8 shot pistol without reloading after only firing 6? Under the division list which shows: No limit on cylinder capacity. A maximum of 6 rounds to be fired before reloading. Violations will incur one procedural penalty for each shot in excess of 6 rounds actually fired before reloading. I believe this means you can only fire a maximum of 6 rounds only not 8 then reload?? Or can you fire 4 rounds then 4 more then reload? Regards Mark :devil:

Thanks to Todd for the power point version I have changed it to suit the Austrlalian power point which uses A4 pages which I have done only for the 8ft distance. The print out comes out in the correct size targets and is great practice. If anyone would like a copy please PM me and I will email one to you. Mark

thanks for the copy Dan I will put it to good use. I have emailed ToddKS for the power point one. Mark

Hi there Sounds like a great idea. Any chance of getting the spreadsheet and powerpoint version as I would like to practice at home, and being able to do practice the reloads when I have to do them. I will PM my details to you. Mark

Hi Eric I have 2 barrels one is a standard barrel and the other is compensated. I change them when I need to, either for steel challenge and IPSC or just a centre fire match, hence when I do not need the scope mounted on the frame. So the blue Loctite 242 is the better of the two, not the red one because you need to heat it up to loosen the screws? Does the blue loctite go hard after a while or does it stay soft and do you need heat to remove them? I have just snugged them up and have found that one or two of them bind up very very tightly damaging them in the process of removing the screws. Would bolts be better to use than countersunk screws????. It should be a lot easier to remove them I think.???

I have a tanfoglio 38 super open gun and wish to know how to avoid the damage to the screws on the scope mount to the frame which just get stuck and are not always but impossible to remove. I have used the Grabit damaged screw remover that does actually work after the allen screw head got rounded out beyond using. I am thinking of using an anti seize paste on the threads to stop the lock up of the screws. I have seen the silver anti seize and the copper anti seize, which one would you advise to use? I know that some shooters use the lock tite glue to hold them in place, wouldn't that make it harder to get them out when needed? As the action of the gun when fired makes them incredibly tight and I am worried that one day they will tear out the threads on the frame when I try to remove them, as the screws are stainless steel and the frame is an alloy which bind them together???? Any ideas would be much appreciated. Mark

I think your right with the length being around the 1.245 mark The compensator exit appears to be OK and just for good measure I got some Hope's 9 to clean out the deposits if any and see what happens with that. I think I will get some 9mm 135 grain conical projectiles and try them out with the same powder but at a lower amount. I'll also look at getting some different powder too. All though I was at my gun shop today buying the Hope's 9 and told the guy who has the most experience with 38 super, IPSC etc and he informed me that he uses ADI AP70 with a 150 grained SWC and has no trouble. I looked it up and found the load for the AP70 powder and it clearly states 4.3 at 960fps to start and maximum load of 5.0 at 1111fps. Considering that the power factor of 160 equals 1067fps which is worth a look at maybe??? I am still looking at buying some jacketed projectiles to try out with the major loads. I might even look at getting the 9mm 150 grain conicals or SWC, I don't know which is best? Any ideas??? I have heard that the Hawksbury bullets are not the best. so I will try to find some other brands. I will keep plugging on. I only cleaned the compensator with the hope's 9 and will see what happens next.

I tried out the major loads with the standard barrel and no keyholing what so ever. I tried out different loads (minor with the standard barrel) and no problems. I went back to the compensated barrel and the same thing happened with the major loads. So now I am going to try out polishing the inside the compensator and go from there??? This was told to me by another shooter, I will try out different loads again. I have some 38 cal 130 grain SWC and will try them out with the compensator and major loads again. The lubed SWC made no difference, they still key holed. I lubed up some polymer 125 grain SWC to try out. The AOL rounds (1.260 thou as per the loading book) were no good either as they keyholed as well. I will keep trying.

I was thinking that maybe just doing the minor loads with the compensator and scope would be OK, may end up doing that as its just as easy to do rather than trying to find the perfect load for major. The old Vithavuori is expensive these days. I'll have a think on that after the weekend shoot and see what that brings.

The brand name of the projectiles is Hawksbury River from Australia, they are very popular here and have been fine before. As for the crimping I have let the crimp be a straight type of one. I did have a curved crimp but was told that the 38 super only needs a tapered crimp which I have done. Even with these rounds that key hole. I have looked at the end of the compensator and see no leading or wear marks at all. What powder do you think would be good for the 38 super? This powder I am using now I have nearly finished so I am going to try out another one. A different brand altogether maybe Vihtavuouri or any ideas??????

Hi Noylj the compensator holes are actually slots, the compensated barrel came from Tanfoglio, it has 3 slots going across the end. Also screws onto the end of the barrel. I could not see any wear on the inside of the comp and no shavings of lead either. I did put in a previous post: After slugging the barrel with a 38 158 grain SWC the size before was 0.358 and after it is 0.355 at its widest point, smallest is 0.347 allowing for the inside shape of the barrel. I think that a new powder might be on order and a different weighted projectile, maybe a 130 or 135 grain conical should do it.

Ok I have made the bullets 1.260 long as per the loading books and will try them out this weekend as well. The projectiles that I use are bought ones with a polymer coating on them, at minor power factor loads they behave great, at major loads they tumble. Would a different powder be any good, I know that some of the shooters are using the Vihtavuori N38 for their major loads, and some heavier projectiles maybe 130 or 135 grain ones might be better??? The barrel is clean as it only took 4 quick strokes of the brass brush to clean it. Mark

I have been told that the crimp for 38 super is straight walled type and I have done that. Slugging the barrel with my 9mm 125 grain SWC before slugging, the measurement is 0.357 and after the measurement is at its widest 0.355 and at its smallest is 0.347. After slugging the barrel with a 38 158 grain SWC the size before was 0.358 and after it is 0.355 at its widest point, smallest is 0.347 allowing for the inside shape of the barrel. I presume that this tells me that the 9mm bullets are on the small size by only 1 thousand of an inch? By using the 38 cal bullets I hopefully would have a more accurate bullet and no tumbling? I have loaded some of the 125 grain SWC projectiles with bullet lube on them to see if that makes any difference. I will have to wait until next weekend to do so, I will post the results then.